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by these branohes themselves, partic
ularly when these branches furnish
JMdgo. jury, witnesses and prosequi
ing officerg.
The spirit of the "service is indicat
ed in the original order"" for Boalt's
deportation without a hearing. There
would not have been even a court of
Inquiry had not Secretary of the Navy
Daniels interposed his cable orders.
Daniels is a newspaper man, has been
one all his life and he knows what it
means to publish unpleasant truths
about the powers that be and some
times suffering unpleasant conse
quences. While running his North Carolina
paper not many years ago, Daniels
published the facts about a railroad
and ended by calling it "A receiver
ship steal.'' The judge who had ap
pointed the receiver hauled Daniels
before him, adjudged him in con
tempt of court, and ordered him to
paya fine of $2,500. Daniels told the
judge he would live and die in jail be
fore he would pay a cent of it, and the
judge never dared send him to jail,
and the fine was never paid.
Daniels is the kind of man there
fore to see the point of backing up a
newspaper man whose only purpose
is to tell the truth, even when it is
unpleasant.
Since the publication of Boalt's
charges other stories have been float
ing around which make congressmen
ven more anxious to have this in
restigatian. For instance, there is a
story in Washington attributed to
Staff Photographer Weigle of the
Chicago Tribune to the effect that a
Mexican was summarily executed by
'.he American forces following the
taking of Vera Criz jon a charge that
ie had made an attack on an Ameri
M,n woman.
The newspaper correspondents at
era Cruz, according to this stQry,
vere permitted to witness the execu
tion on condition that they should
$ay nothing about the affair in their
lispatches.
Senatpra, and. congressmen., whp
want an investigation do not particu
larly care for the arbitrary orders of
Secretary Garrison in the matter of
press, censorship over news pertain
ing to the American occupation of
Vera Cruz. In fact, Copgressmap
Falconer's investigation calls on Gar
rison to advise the hpuse whether or
not this censorship is now in opera
tion covering news of the testimony
being given at the court of inquiry
now being held on the battleship
Texas at Vera Cruz
Officials here do not understand
why there should be any censorship
at the present time. Censorship is a
war measure. War never has been
declared with Mexico and President
Wilson has repeatedly asserted that
the present status is not one of war,
Nevertheless, the cable office at
Vera Cruz is understood to be under
martial law, and every word of copy
is subjected to the strictest censor
snip. Correspondents cannot go to Vera
Cruz to tell about things there un
less they become to all intents and
purposes members of the army and
subject to military discipline. They
are required to file a bond in the sum
of $2,000, binding their employers
that tljey shall live up to every order
of every petty officer entrusted with
the censorship, functions. The pen
alty is deportation and forfeiture of
the bond.
It is the belief of members of con
gress that tKfrboys in the navy and
army are as gopd as boys elsewhere.
It is not assumed that our soldiers
in either branch are apy more brutal
than civilians or than other soldiers-.
These acts, if they have taken place,
illustrate how young men otherwise
decent and humane, when excited by
the blood Inst of a first experjence in
killing their felow-men in time of
war, as they thought it was, become
brutalized and commit acts which are
disgraceful to the service, and which
the laws of civilized warfare seek to
curb and which discipline is supposed
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